choreographer

Djassi DaCosta Johnson

Djassi DaCosta Johnson is a dancer, choreographer, actor, photographer, filmmaker, writer and designer. She has worked and apprenticed with MOMIX, Pilobolus, Dance Brazil, Earl Mosley, Bill T. Jones, Hernando Cortez, Ron Brown’s Evidence, Forces of Nature and Urban Bush Women among others. Djassi worked as a dancer & choreographer in Brazil, and in Italy for 7 years in TV & film on shows including “AMICI”, “Raccomandati” and as performer and choreographer for the film,“Crew 2 Crew”, (Lionsgate, 2010). Her choreography has been displayed in fashion shows, music videos, international festivals and films, including for ESSENCE, NIKE, PNB Nation, Morellato & Pandora Jewelry and, NYFW for Isamar Designs and Studio 189. Djassi performs in collaboration with visual artists and jazz musicians and has created works with Eddie Peak, Lia Chavez, Nate Lewis and performed in and choreographed music videos for Gloria Gaynor, Joan Baez and Alice Walker among others. Djassi’s dance films have appeared in the Moving Body Moving Image festival and her film “Gaia & Luna” won the “Most Uplifting Award” for Cinema Verde’s Environmental Film Festival in 2022. Djassi helped implement the Modern Dance program at Brooklyn Ballet in 2013 and is an Assistant Professor of dance who started the first BA dance concentration at The University of The Virgin Islands in 2022. Djassi holds an MFA in Dance, New Media & Technology from NYU Tisch and is currently an Artist in Residence at Barnard’s Movement Lab creating and installation and performance piece to include her choreography, photography, films, costumes and wearable art.